Peles Castle: Royal Legacy and Romania’s Finest Castle

Peles Castle is the most impressive castle in Romania and a must-see attraction if you’re passionate about stories of royalty, splendid architecture and history. The summer residence of the royal family until 1948 when it was confiscated by the communist regime, the castle from Sinaia is today, like in its first years, one of the most beautiful castles in Europe.

Royal history

In 1866, Romania had only partially today’s size. Two of the historical provinces managed to unite, but the independence from the Ottoman Empire was still needed in order to have the union strengthened. It was Romania’s first king, Carol the 1st of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who managed to obtain this major national goal. The Prince of Romania from 1866 and the King of Romania from 1881, Carol the 1st built Peles Castle, a royal residence that became a lifetime project until his death in 1914.

The future king of Romania loved the Carpathian landscapes from his new country, particularly the one from Podul Neagului, a small mountain village he visited in his first months in Romania. He bought a large piece of land here in 1873 when the construction of Peles Castle began. The presence of a royal residence brought many changes to Podul Neagului. Its name changed to Sinaia, a railway line appeared, and many aristocratic families started building their own residences in Sinaia or close by.

A lifetime project

The construction of the castle started in 1873 and by 1883 it was suited to host the royal family who spent six months every year here during the time of Carol the 1st. Numerous and ample architectural works were done until 1914, the castle’s architecture being inspired by the German Neo-Renaissance style, a close tie with the King’s German origins. Several teams of architects and designers worked throughout the years, among them Johannes Schultz, from 1873 to 1883, and Karel Liman, from 1896 to 1924.

From the very beginning, Peles Castle was one of the most modern in Europe. It was the first castle on the continent fully supplied by electrical power – it had its own electrical unit – and one of the few with a central heating system, an elevator and all the highest comfort of the time. With a total number of 160 rooms, including a theatre hall and a concert hall, seven terraces decorated with statues of the King and the Queen and numerous other decorative objects done from Carrara marble, the castle was an impressive residence fit for its political and cultural functions.

The interior decorations of the castle were given constant attention as the best designers of the time worked on themed styles for each room. Some of the most notable are the Music Room, the Library, the Turkish Salon, the Theatre Hall or the Honor Hall. Passionate not only about architecture, but also about art, Carol the 1st had numerous collections, the number of art objects being estimated at 60,000. Given his military background, the King had also a solid knowledge and interest in weapons. His collection from the Weapons’ Room has over 4,000 pieces, including a complete knight and horse armor, unique in Romania.

A museum from the beginning

The castle was a museum from its first years, opened when the royal family did not use it, the tickets sold financing Queen’s Elisabeta charity works. After the castle was confiscated by the communist regime, most of the art collections were transferred to various art museums.

Peles Castle served as a museum from 1953 to 1975, and after this year it was only used to host high-rank foreign officials. The castle escaped the architectural moods of the ruling dictator couple, Ceausescu, who had the bad habit of destroying historical monuments or to completely alter them. The castle was again opened as a museum in 1990. Three years later, the smaller Pelisor Castle, built for King Ferdinand and Queen Maria, also became a museum.

Peles Castle remains the most impressive architectural legacy of the royal family and a key historical and cultural monument. It’s one of those special places you remember even years after visiting simply because it’s unique, monumental and incredible personal despite being a sumptuous royal residence.